Prolouge
I stared at the cold, white ceiling above my bed. My room smelled cold and damp. I tossed and turned, trying in vain to fall asleep. Thoughts and memories swirled in my head. They haunted me, wouldn't let me go. Like countless cold hands that wouldn't release me.
After half an hour, I decided to give up. I sat up straight and switched on the old bedside lamp my grandmother had left me before she vanished without a trace. The warm light filled my room. It's small, almost empty, and lifeless. The onlyliving thing in my room is me.
A fresh gust of wind rushed through my leaky window, sending a cold shiver down my spine.I felt uneasy, uncertain. For as long as I can remember, I've been plagued by misfortune. I looked down at my arms. They are covered in bruises and old scars. I've had many accidents in my sixteen years. I shook my head, as if trying to erase my memories, and stood up.
I desperately needed fresh air. I grabbed my worn winter coat, which hung over my desk chair like a forgotten scrap of fabric, and cautiously opened my bedroom door.The hallway was dark, almost eerie. I had a bad feeling.
A feeling that it was a mistake. That I should have stayed in my room, that something bad might happen if I crossed the threshold. I took a deep breath and stepped into the hallway.
My hands trembled slightly as I locked my bedroom door and slowly made my way toward the stairs. The floorboards creaked with every step.
the threshold. I took a deep breath and stepped into the hallway.
My hands trembled slightly as I locked my bedroom door and slowly made my way toward the stairs.
The floorboards creaked with every step. Like soft cries, trying to tell me to turn back. But I didn't want to be afraid, to run from my doubts. Quietly and carefully, I descended the stairs to the ground floor. The house was quiet, almost too quiet considering that nine other teenagers lived here.
I crept silently to the back door and opened it with a soft click. It was strangely quiet, unlike the rest of the house. "croak!" I froze in shock when I heard an eerie noise from outside and looked around fearfully.
It was pitch black outside, except for a single streetlamp on the other side of the street. I hesitated and told myself that I had only imagined the strange noise, that I was being paranoid, and that the cold, evil hands holding me were trying to intimidate me.
